Harder
by Everlane
Summary: Annie's appearance had been swift, occurring at a time when Mikasa secretly obsessed about blending in the crowd. To her, Annie remained an inanimate object one could toss in the ditch and forget about.


_I don't own Shingeki no Kyojin. _

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><p><strong>Author's Note - <strong>Still working on The Trouble with Hope. This is just a three shot that I wanted to post.

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><p><strong>Harder<strong>

It is 7:34pm when Mikasa walks home with the image of her nicely laid bed to lie on.

As she approaches the front entrance of the condo she has lived in for the past three months, her phone begins vibrating from the bottom of her duffel bag. She doesn't feel like answering it now. Eren had already called her five minutes ago to remind her of the dinner party their parents were hosting. He didn't need to call her again and he knows that she hates talking on the phone.

Her phone vibrates again, buzzing loudly among low howling winds of the indigo night. She stops to swipe her identification card by the front booth. The pot-bellied officer with a slanted cap gives her a gesture to enter.

The whitened echoing hallway is a long stretch towards the elevator at the end. Mikasa sighs at the vibration at her side. Phone buzzing another time, she stops to dig through her duffel bag. Palming the empty plastic bottle she took to gym with her, she feels around until she touches the screen of her phone.

Upon seeing the name of her caller, she pauses before she swipes over the screen. "What?"

"What's up?!"

The first thing she hears are the squeal of little children in the background, and her longtime friend hollering for them to quiet down. Knowing these three little kids like the back of her hand, Mikasa is certain that they won't listen to Ymir. At least not when it's Friday. The only person they would listen to is taking on a night shift at Wall Rose General Hospital.

"What did I tell you about touching mommy's laptop?!"

"But I just touched the top, like this-"

"Don't you dare you little brat-" Mikasa smirks when she hears the pause, and then Ymir's tremulous tone, "I hope you're not recording this to give to Krista.

"Well, I don't know, Ymir. I don't have much to do today. The night is pretty nice now and Krista's only forty-five minutes away from my place. I'm a fast driver too. I also have her new number, thanks to you. Should I call poor Krista to tell her that you're a terrible babysit-"

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Mom just cursed!"

"Ah-ah-I mean the freak. Shut the freak up." The cackling that follows up after pushes Ymir to lower her voice. "I need you for something," Ymir announces with what sounds to Mikasa like a mischievous smile."My cousin has to go to Zhiganshina tomorrow. Come to my house and pick her up at eight."

"I don't even get a say?"

"Nope."

"What's she going to do there anyways?"

"Business, babe!"

Ymir sounds a bit off. Prowling through her bag again for her keys, Mikasa continues her path down to the elevator before she freezes to a stop. The last time Ymir asked her to do a favor for a friend, she ended up being set up with Martha, the crazy stalker pre-med college student. "Ymir, please tell me you're not doing what I think you're doing?"

"What's that? I can't hear you."

"Ymir!"

"Okay, I could be."

Mikasa lets out a breathe, "Why?"

"Because you're the best person in the entire world, babe."

"Remember Martha?"

"Look! I thought you needed someone like you!"

"Then why do they turn out to be psychos? Do you have it in for me, Ymir?"

"I know! I know! They turn out to be obsessive rich money loving stalkers who follow you all the way to school and home, plus sleep outside your apartment to wait to talk to you. I know. But this isn't a set up. I was just joking. I really just need you to drop my cousin off. You remember Annie right?"

The name sparks something aflame. Mikasa recalls hearing that name several times in high school. Soon the image of a smallish girl with a hoodie and thick sweats punching her pops up in her mind "Oh. Annette Leonhardt?"

"Did you say that just to be an asshole?"

Mikasa rolls her eyes. The last time she saw Annie was in eleventh grade, the year the blond moved out of Wall Sina. The Leonhardts weren't a rich family, but due to a huge sum by a philanthropist to have Annie attend Sina Preparatory Academy.

Mikasa's stoic demeanor already made her somewhat feared in the school. The students knew that she could take on five boys at once, and had a mean streak when anyone tried to mess with Eren. Eren wasn't bullied, but he wasn't well liked due to his intense attitude about things. Annie was one of those students had no problem telling Eren off, despite his intimidating presence.

When Mikasa learned that Annie had tackled Eren in the middle of the hallway, she didn't care if Eren was probably wrong. She shoved Annie off him and earned a swift punch to the jaw. One more punch, and then Mikasa punched back, blacking out completely.

The fight between Annie Leonhardt and Mikasa Ackerman would probably be one of the most historical moments in the history of their old school, but Mikasa sees it as just a bunch of kids playing tough when they knew that they weren't. And this all happened before Mikasa met Ymir.

"I may have. But what's she up to anyways?"

"I don't know. She told me she was doing psychology in school."

"Is she almost done?"

"Ask her! Just come tomorrow."

Mikasa scoffs. "Alright. Give the phone to my little one."

After a bit of shuffling, a tiny voice cheers, "Hi Auntie Mimi!"

"Hi, Charlie, have you been good for your mom?"

"Uh huh!"

Mikasa smiles when she continues listening to the little boy talk about his day, his little chatter dousing a bit of warmth in her chest. She imagines his shiny brown hair and twinkling molten brown eyes. His jittery hands and bouncy nature. As she prepares a cup of coffee, still on the phone, she could not help but think about a small blond with an oversized hoodie.

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><p>Once they were twelve years old, Eren told her once that she could hit the books but barely knew how to keep a conversation. So she settled with keeping to herself, and the results of her actions have aided her being one of the star students at the Zhiganshina Institute of Science and Technology and in its medical school. Still, Mikasa's relationship skills were at most, terrible, and she's even lucky to still have the number of friends she has today.<p>

Ymir being her best friend troubled her parents. Mikasa's mother showed concern when the mouse haired freckled teenager showed up at her home, looking for Mikasa. In contrast to Ymir's, Mikasa's family is one of the richest in the entirety of Wall Sina, right under the Reiss family, whose ancestors had been the monarchs ruling the Walls hundreds of years ago.

Annie's appearance had been swift, occurring at a time when Mikasa secretly obsessed about blending in the crowd. She is not sure if Ymir knows about her treatment of Annie, but Ymir hasn't mentioned anything about it.

Her first glance at the petite blonde sitting all the way in the back of their algebra class could have made anyone insignificant. She didn't bully the girl like the others and Eren did, but she stood back and did not offer any help.

To her, Annie remained an inanimate object one could toss in the ditch and forget about. From what she heard, Annie's family completely depended on the endowment given to them in their paid for home located west of Wall Sina's Willston District. Annie had to walk for thirty minutes to come to school, and she was always on time. In her third year, teachers view her as a potential Valedictorian in the academy, and the news surrounding it placed Mikasa on edge.

Their fight. Swift and sudden, out of the blue. A simple bout of miscommunication. Eren's verbal taunts had earned him a nasty blow from Annie. She does not remember what she said to Annie, but the memory of what Annie did after made her ashamed of thinking about it.

She never expected the blonde to rush after her, and tackle her on the ground when she punched her in the face. Mikasa remembered that wave of pure hatred rushing over her and blurred her vision. Outraged teachers pulled them apart. Mikasa ended up with a five-day suspension and a strong lecture from her mother. When she returned to school, she never saw Annie again.

Days went by. Weeks. When months tumbled along, and she eventually graduated high school, she knew that Annie left. Word got out that the Leonhardts still remained but their daughter, missing. Even after meeting Ymir and finding out that she was Annie's cousin, she never tried to ask Ymir about what happened to her and Ymir was eager to avoid the topic.

Mikasa's magical driving skills helps her evade traffic. Swerving smoothly in between lanes and cutting a swift corner, she sighs in relief at the empty road ahead of her.

She would be taking the highway to Wall Rose's entrance city. It takes less than ten minutes to enter the first busy road. Flashing signs and bold sign boards are a welcome change from the stifling air in St. Lucia.

There are not much boutiques but lots of specialty and fashion stores. She decides to buy more toys and games for the kids. Mikasa even spends a few minutes at the book store, purchasing several reading and math books for children and three books of her favorite author, Izumi Johanssen, a good change from the monotone books she reads of people who weren't of her race.

She has seven more minutes to spare when she makes her way over to Ymir's place. After driving through the busy shopping center, she ends up in the Richmond Township, accelerating up the hill towards Eastside Village.

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><p>Once she parks into the empty parking space by the sidewalk, she's aware of how dark it is. Almost everyone's house is either dark or dimly lit. Ymir and Krista's house is like a circus. She can see the energetic children running around through the window into the living area. Her little one, Charlie, spots her approaching the house and yells her name.<p>

Charlie looks like he escaped his mother's wrath by refusing to dress up after he showered. He jumps in his towel with his wet head of hair, waiting for Krista to open the door for her.

"Auntie!"

All three children rush towards her. Mikasa laughs when the oldest, Gabrielle, gives her a kiss on the cheek while the second oldest, Fiona, crushes Mikasa into a hug. The children (a.k.a. the three little rugrats) of Ymir and Krista are a rowdy bunch, their energy high enough to surpass a child under a sugar rush. They are up 24/7. Even when sleep, their snores were enough to wake the neighbors next door. They were truly their parents' children, and a lot like Ymir when she was growing up.

After dropping out of high school to find a job as a cashier to sustain her family, Ymir often ended her days drinking, clubbing, and bedding the woman she set her eyes on. Mikasa was too worried that Ymir would react badly if she tried to criticize her, especially with her being of a higher status, but Mikasa now sees that behavior as stupid and selfish. But she never expected for Ymir to eventually end up with Historia Reiss, the direct heiress of the Reiss family who gave up her name and dubbed herself Krista Lenz.

Mikasa felt Krista and Ymir's relationship coming. When she took Krista out to Ymir's birthday bash at the Fort22 Club, it was over for the twenty-two year old Ymir. All it took was one look at Krista in that royal blue dress and platform heels for Ymir to fall silent. Her sparking necklace nestled in the soft crevice of her chest, soft polished blonde waves swept to the side, and piercing blue eyes were the killer, as quoted by Ymir.

Though overdressed for the occasion, Krista had dressed to kill. Krista had been the Historia Reiss, the often cold daughter of Mr. Reiss, who was a big time business tycoon. She spoke to no one but Mikasa and it earned her the title of 'cold bitch'.

A year later, Mikasa had the gift of watching Krista change from the apathetic young woman into a bubbly and kind twenty year old. Her struggles with Ymir in the beginning of their marriage wasn't easy. Mikasa had seen Ymir close to giving up her relationship with Krista on numerous occasions. Tabloids demonized the woman to the point where her apartment was constantly being vandalized.

Mikasa had to force Ymir to not break into Mr. Reiss's home after he had sent two bodyguards to forcefully drag Krista out of Ymir's apartment. He intended to keep her inside his home, never to allow her to leave.

For three months, Ymir saw no sign of Krista until Mikasa decided to bravely speak to Mr. Reiss himself. Though her parents dislike Krista's relationship with Ymir, her father helped her convince Reiss to let Krista go. Until this day, Mikasa knows that Mr. Reiss hates her more, especially when it comes to her race and sexuality. He would only speak to Eren because to him, she was never a true Yeager. And honestly, she prefers it that way.

"Hi Mikasa," Krista greets with a grin and a warm hug.

"Evening Krista," Mikasa says.

"Great! You're here early," Ymir rushes out, eyes barely on Mikasa but on Charlie, who makes a run for it. His mother dashes there in time to grab the little four-year old.

"Thank goodness you're here," Krista says, wrestling Charlie in her arms. Ymir is quick to grab the giggling child before she disappears into the bathroom.

"Hold on for a sec!" she hollers.

"Alright."

"Mommy! Look, Auntie Mimi got me a video game!" Gabrielle exclaimed to her mother, clad in her school soccer team's uniform and warm socks. Mikasa ruffles the high up ponytail on her head, admiring her strong resemblance to her mother.

"That's great sweetheart, but you know you still have to focus on school. Ms. Matthews wants you to like math more than games."

Gabrielle rolls her eyes when Krista side hugs her, "But I still get 'A's."

"Uh-huh."

"I get 'A's too mommy!" Fiona quips, her dark bob bouncing as she jumps.

"That's wonderful, now why don't you go play with Gabrielle upstairs for a second. I need to talk to your aunt."

"Okay!" both girls say.

Mikasa waits for them to disappear upstairs, following Krista's lead into the sitting area. In the corner of her eye, Mikasa notices a flash of black and blonde, perfectly silhouetted in an hourglass form. The sound of slow click clacks echoing through the wood-paneled hallway. She turns to watch Krista eye the flash in the same direction. Mikasa does not want to discuss _her _with Krista now. Krista never attended high school with Mikasa.

"How is everything, Historia?" Mikasa asks.

The woman sighs happily. Krista did not change much since she left home with Ymir. From the cold young heiress to a beaming mother, sweaty and tired in the hospital room as a nurse puts the newborn Gabrielle in her arms, Mikasa enjoys seeing how those changes helped her close friend. Krista finger combs the front of her hair back before saying, "I'm happy."

The corner of Mikasa's lips twitch. "That's good."

She hears those heels again. Ymir's gentle scolding of Charlie breaks the silence. Soon, Charlie rushes out in his Spiderman pajamas, scrambling upstairs in the direction his sisters went up in. Mikasa watches the fond grin over Krista's face. Ymir comes after with a great sigh, scoffing at the blonde's clap of applause.

"Forgive my kids. They're a riot. Annie's about to come out, give her a sec," Ymir says with a playful scowl, plopping herself down near Krista to put her arms around her. "How have you been?"

"Alright."

Krista smiles. "Aren't you still doing your residency?"

Mikasa nods. As Krista asks more questions about her apprenticeship with a surgeon in Wall Maria, Mikasa notices Ymir leave her side to disappear into the hallway. The flash of black and blonde comes back, but this time, she is able to gaze at the figure right by Ymir. Krista trails off. Mikasa turns a bit more...

Her chest takes a leap. Mikasa does not hear Krista calling her, or the children upstairs. Only the sounds of the wind howling outside and Ymir's low voice in the hallway. All she sees are the 6 inch black heels across Ymir's old wool socks. She slowly lifts her gaze over the expanse of toned legs and thighs into a short tight-fitting black sequined dress, stopping at the sleek blonde hair stopping near the owner's jaw and obscuring the side of her face.

"Mikasa?"

She snaps back into reality when Krista taps her shoulders. She can tell that Krista has no idea why she looked like that. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Sorry I was just listening to them." No. She could not hear what they were saying, not when that dress hugged that figure. She cannot focus on Annie as the girl she used to know. She is acutely paying close attention to her backside without realizing it. The dress is backless, and only the small of Annie's back is visible.

"I know," Krista says quietly. "I actually didn't want you to drop her off."

"Why?"

Krista shakes her head. "Annie's not your average...She's just very troubled right now."

And what does that have to do with me dropping her off? Mikasa wants to ask this but refrains from doing looks as though she is lecturing Annie on something. Annie does not behave like she is listening to the taller woman in her sweatshirt and pants. She is looking away from Ymir, eyes in a vacant space while Ymir continues talking.

"Listen. I don't like the shit you do..." Ymir says loudly while Annie begins to look inside her small purse, clearly ignoring her older cousin while chewing gum_. "...anytime I call Reiner to ask of you, he tells me you're always up to no fucking good! Are you serious?! Do you want to give me a fucking heart attack right now?!..."_

"You used to go to school with her, right?" Krista asks.

"I did," Mikasa says, unwilling speak any further. "What did she do?"

"It's not what she did. Annie is...not the most understandable person. Ymir's been trying to talk to her to let go of her habits."

Mikasa wants to ask further, but goes against it. Krista might want to ask more about Annie. Ymir leaves Annie's side, her face stony. Annie follows right after. Mikasa is quick to turn away before she sees her face. The soft puff of perfume permeates her senses. Suddenly, she imagines the set of the blonde's chest. The dip of her waist and rightly curved slope of her hips. Annie is here, in the flesh, but Mikasa is too hesitant on looking at her face.

"You remember Mikasa, right?" Ymir says to Annie. Mikasa can easily spot the cautious turn Ymir's voice takes. .

"Mm-hm," Annie replies in a low husky tone. "Hi, Mikasa."

Mikasa looks up sideways and regrets ever doing so. Suddenly, Annie in that dress evades her mind. This is the Annie who left school those years ago. The Annie whose name died down on everyone's lips. She, simply forgot ten. The Annie before never had a pretty face, especially with that nose, but Mikasa cannot help but see just how much it suits her.

_Why is she saying this now?_ Annie stares intently in her direction. Her smoldering look does not go unnoticed. She tosses Mikasa a small smile. It seems quiet and genuine, but Mikasa knows it means something else. Her cold blue eyes quietly assesses Mikasa. The dark-haired woman begins squirming in her seat.

"Hi."

"It's good seeing you," Annie say quietly.

"Likewise.

She can tell that Ymir is watching the expression on her face with a small frown. Krista looks a bit worried.

"Alright. I'll see you guys later," Ymir says.

Annie nods. "Uh-huh," she casts a dazed look in Mikasa's direction. Mikasa knows what exactly she's thinking, because she wants to do the same thing to her too. Annie begins rummaging through her purse as Mikasa starts to get up. She asks, "Ymir gave you the address, right?"

"Yeah."

Annie closes up her purse. "Alright. Hold on for a sec."

Mikasa wishes that she hadn't still been looking when Annie walks upstairs.

Mikasa soon hears Fiona asking Annie to stay a little more upstairs. Annie's probably saying good-bye to the children first. She is uncomfortably quiet under Ymir's heated gaze. Ymir scoffs and folds her arms. Krista tries to remove the tension by starting another conversation, but both Mikasa and Ymir fail to talk anymore. Annie has somehow forged a gap between the two best friends.

Before Ymir closes the door behind them, and waits for Annie to walk ahead a little further, she leaves this quiet remark, "I just need you to drop her off. Alright?"

Mikasa turns, her lack of expression darkening the look on Ymir's face, "Understood."


End file.
